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The #1 item you need for house guests

Caroline and I were chatting the other day about having guests visit during the summer, and after we covered the basics—clean sheets, the Sunday paper, extra eggs—we suddenly realized there's one MAJOR thing you need when hosting out-of-towners...A plunger. I know it sounds random (and kind of gross) but CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING AT SOMEONE'S HOUSE AND NEEDING ONE AND HAVING TO ASK. Horrifying. So there you go. Number one item needed.

Are you having any house guests this summer? How do you prepare for them? I'd love to hear your tips...

122 comments:

True! I keep mine in a closet outside of my bathroom because my bathroom is so small but I always put it on the floor when someone is over so they don't have to ask me. I also have been putting a fan near the bathroom door for "white noise" since my apartment is so tiny - guests can do their business without being heard! :)

I get sample products all the time from Birch Box but have never used most of them, so I got a giant glass jar and filled it with sample bath products from Birch Box and hotels and stuff and then I threw in a few travel tooth pastes and tooth brushes. I put the jar in the guest bedroom with a note on it that says "forget something? take what you need!" I'm not sure if anyone has used anything from it yet, but that's the beauty of it, they can just take something without having to ask and I never have to know!

Haha! This just happened to me at my in-law's house a few weeks ago. I shouted to my husband who was chatting on the deck to quickly and quietly run upstairs to grab the plunger. Luckily no one batted an eye at his departure.

Ha! Very good idea and I've never thought of it. Also never had a clog jn this house so maybe the plumbing is up just up to the challenge. I'm glad, because plungers give me the willies - so ugly and unless you're cleaning them thoroughly, quite disgusting as well. We have guests year round - we joke that we run a B&B (so much laundry!). I do, however, make sure there is plenty of leftover toilet paper and a trash can for feminine products or any other detritus travels pick up along the way. That and making sure guests have a full length mirror and extra blankets. I find people won't always speak up I they're cold, so you should make sure they have the option of remedying the situation on their own.

Hahaha, anything to do with the toilet should just be automatically supplied! Plungers, toilet brushes, matches (to light and blow out to mask any smells...) I hate going in any toilet that isn't my own! xxxLucy @ La Lingua Italy

One of the funniest/most embarrassing vacation memories includes staying with a few girlfriends at one of their guy friend's houses. One of the girls needed a plunger, and we devised a plan to steal it from the master bedroom, while creating a diversion in the other room, as one of the girls ran it around outside, into the other entrance. Because asking is TOO awkward we had to act like CIA spies!

This goes along with the plunger, but I always thought #1 was leaving your guests tiny bottles of Pepto Bismol or some other stomach relief. Can you imagine staying at someone's house with an upset stomach?

Ha ha, we have a dodgy toilet in our basement that can only handle liquid waste. We learned this the hard way after having some guests to stay. They mentioned the problem with "the loo" on the way out the door. I was wondering if perhaps I should make a nice little sign to let people know. I try to work it into conversation casually, but I always feel so awkward!

Yes! Thank you! Also, we got a luggage stand (like what you'd find in a hotel room) and all of our guests comment on how useful it is. http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/luggage-rack/1013029784?device=c&network=g&matchtype=&mcid=PS_googlepla_nonbrand_storage_&gclid=Cj0KEQjwur2eBRDtvMS0gIuS-dYBEiQANBPMR2UV_J5Kh3EHZ5xwTrR3qONP_8YiTP--u3J5cr82pUYaAtFn8P8HAQ

Very true, but I'd up it a bit. Get a GOOD plunger that has more ridges (that may cost a little more initially). The classic ones that you think of (like the picture shown) have never worked well for me. The one I have currently works the first time, every time. And when you're desperate for it not to overflow, you need it to work right away!

Yes, I can imagine. Because I have had this happen to me - I was a guest and needed a plunger and couldn't find one. It gets worse - I asked and the couple who were hosting me DID NOT OWN ONE - AT ALL. They had to go to their landlord's house (he lived next door) and borrow one. Um. Yup. So I agree this is a CRUCIAL item to have!

The Sunday paper - I'm coming to stay at your house! I do have plungers in both my bathrooms, but when you stay at mine, you're going to get a homecooked meal, good conversation and good libations. I stayed with family this summer though, and had to fly there, and they bought toothpaste, shampoo and everything that could be considered "liquid" on a plane. After wrangling two kids at the airport, it was nice not to have to go to the drugstore.

So true! For some reason my mother-in-law hides the plunger all the way in the garage..I guess because she thinks it looks ugly in the bathroom, but my goodness it's embarrassing to ask for it! Another pet peeve- guest baths with no where to put trash. Am I supposed to put a tampon in the little wicker basket that has no trash bag?!

I keep a binder for houseguests with all the fun things to see in Boston (where we live) including how to get there on the train, hours and cost and my own tips. It also has all our house info like wi fi password and where the towels are!

Towels! It's awkward not to have enough towels for everyone and you never know if the ladies will want to use two towels, one for hair, one for body. We always make sure to stock each bathroom with plenty of fluffy clean towels :)

Along this same line, I ALWAYS have air freshener in every bathroom, because I HATE when I have to go #2 in someone else's bathroom (even when I don't clog and need a plunger) and there's no air freshener!

Haha. I second Eileen though... That style of plunger is for a sink. A toilet needs the kind with a tube-like part at the bottom. I keep mine behind the toilet to hide it from my baby so I hope anyone who needs it can find it as our toilet is often "failing."

I just had 6 guests this weekend at one time! So 8 total people in our new house in Atlanta! It went really well. I made plans for activities and for meals and did all my grocery shopping ahead of time. I even planned which furniture I could move from room to room to accommodate everyone since we don't have a large dining table yet. And made sure to stock each bathroom with lots of toilet paper (and even a plunger in the upstairs guest bath). haha! What a funny but totally true thought.

My grandparents usually come from out of state during the summer. Uusally my mum goes crazy buying everything new, she buys new linen, plates and furnishings. Also lots of food more than enough for everyone.

I completely agree with the plunger idea but I would also add some sort of spray air freshener - it cuts down on the awkward factor a bit more for guests, especially if there are a lot of people having to share one bathroom!

YES. I'm embarrassed to admit that I'M the one who has had to ask before-- how embarrassing when they have to dig it out of the basement as if they NEVER clog their own toilet....I always leave my plunger in the bathroom, in case guests need it. <3

Most definitely true! My now brother in law stayed with us for a bit when he and my sister got engaged and he clogged our toilet. Instead of telling us he tried to fix it and ended up flooding our apartment with his poopy water. He cleaned it up but I went over the whole place with bleach again after he left.

An extra little tip if you are the houseguest who has a..ahem..need for air freshener, but none are around - leave the bathroom door open after you are done! I am trying to teach this to my young boys, it is really awful to be next into a bathroom that had the small locked in. Flush right away, leave the door open to air it out, peeps! :)

So true!!! A few years ago my husband and I were staying with two female friends in NYC... and my husband NEEDED one... and they didnt even have one! He not only had to tell our host--- but we had to scour the city to find one-- He was SO embarrassed. Now, it is funny-- but in the moment... not so much! Ha!!

Oh my goodness - I just read David Sedaris' short story called Big Boy and about peed my pants laughing. Totally relates to this post about having a plunger for guests. From his book "Me Talk Pretty One Day."

This actually happened to me once and it was a TERRIBLE experience: At my ex's parents. At a gathering they were having. I stayed for hours in the bathroom trying to figure out what to do. Can't tell you anymore because it doesn't end well :(

So true! My handsome and I were visiting friends in Jerusalem last year and after a few meals my body wasn't used to and a minor panic attack, I needed to ask them for one. To my horror, they didn't have one! And, the store across the street didn't have one! After some TMI, it all ended up ok, but I was pretty horrified.

haha. i can attest to that. the first time my boyfriend came home with me, he was freaking out after i got in from walking my dog. apparently he needed one and couldn't find it. we managed to get it taken care of before his secret was discovered.

I have been known to make sure to check out the flushing situation of whatever toilet I'm using when traveling--just to scope out the situation. Does the toilet flush and nearly suck everything in the bathroom down with it? Does the toilet bowl's contents swirl and swirl and swirl and swirl and then baaaaarely slide down the pipe at the end? I test the water, so to speak, with pee first to know what I might be up against.

This happened to me! I was at my bf's family's when things just wouldn't go down! I had to walk downstairs and ask for a plunger in front of about 12 people! Talk about mortifying!! It would have been great to have one on-hand.

After living for a few years in a house with 1905 plumbing, I couldn't agree more in regards to the plunger.

Matches, however, I have a story. My brother stayed at our apartment in Vienna, Austria. We always left matches and little candles by the toilet. I would quickly light them and blow them out when guests came. Well, he was staying there alone and apparently had a bathroom issue at midnight (jet lag and all) and lit a tea light candle, went to sleep and forgot about it. The toilet tank in our apartment was plastic and caught fire, the doors are so thick that he didn't realize the toilet room was on fire for a long time. Apparently, the toilet tank burned down and once it hit the water it burned out (luckily) but not before ruining our apartment with smoke, flames and water. I'm just glad his bedroom door was closed as he probably could have died from smoke inhalation. Dealing with a fire and smoke damage sucks. Needless to say, we don't supply matches in the bathroom anymore. We still can't figure out why the heck he lit a candle when he was alone in the apartment, who cares if it stinks! But to this day, he claims it was just him.

Guests or not..Plunger is No.1 item PERIOD. It is hilarious how my father, visiting us from India, asked me if i can take him to Home Depot for some back home shopping and he buys a plunger...HE claims that after visiting many countries his conclusion is,that Americans make best plungers :P.It is a story that is going to be passed on for generation in our family...What did your father get from USA ..A plunger!

This is hilarious! The things I always like to have in my guest room are:

-tampons -phone charger-a little note with the wi-fi password (I usually just have it written out on a post-it and stuck onto the dresser, but how cute would it be to type it up nicely and put in a simple frame?)

My husband must've been the houseguest that inspired this LOL! He's had to ask before, and because he's shy and I have no shame, he sends me in his stead!

I also always have this thing called one drop deodoriser for guests in case they've got to drop some kids off at the pool and don't want to let everyone know hehe It works remarkably well, and I carry it when I travel!

These comments are hilarious! I never would have thought to leave one out for guests. I wouldn't care if someone asked me (or I asked someone for one), but I can imagine it being mortifying for some people.

This is so true. My boyfriend and I were visiting my parents in their new home they JUST (two days prior) moved in to. Well my boyfriend was in need of a plunger and since my parents just moved I had zero idea where one was. In the end my boyfriend got my 16 year old brother to drive to the store to buy one so we didn't have to ask my parents. The irony was we found one in the guest bath the day we left.

Yes.. our plunger resides in the bathroom most often used by guests. I also collect toiletries from travels and keep them in a basket in the guest bath. Making sure there is extra toilet paper.. also vital! Basically, you don't want your guests to have to ask you about toilet/personal hygiene issues. My parents also used to have a dorm fridge in the guest room stocked with a selection of water, juice, sodas and beer. The guest could easily get themselves a drink without worry or bother to the host. If you are a guest, you can sometimes feel bad... like you are imposing on the host when you have to keep asking for things.

I have an intestinal disorder and this just made me feel like so much less of a freak! There have been so many times I've been embarrassed beyond words to have to ask for something like a plunger, air freshener, ect.

Oh lordy. The first time I went to visit my boyfriend's mom in Liverpool, I was the guest who needed one and had to ask! In the end, she didn't have one in the house at all. It was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life and figuring out how to fix the toilet without one was incredibly cringe-worthy.

We just had a guest that clogged our toilet so bad we had to call the plumbers to snake the line. Poor thing was so embarrassed...maybe we should just have a snake with written instructions next to our toilet. Our plumbing is wretched.

My boyfriend and I took a trip to California together, where we stayed with his cousin and his wife. We'd only been dating for a couple months, so it was a very new and exciting trip. Our first night there, I went to use the restroom just as we were heading out the door. I did my business, and as I flushed, I thought, wouldn't it be terrible if for some reason it clogged? And then it DID! I was horrified! I searched all over the bathroom and could find no plunger, but I also realized I wasn't even sure how to use one. As I said, we'd barely been dating, and I was mortified to have to tell my boyfriend I'd clogged the toilet. I finally worked up the courage, and his response? "Oh, I should have told you, you just have to hold the handle down." Except we'd already left...

TOO TRUE. My husband and I were visiting NYC and staying at a coworker's house who was out of town. Not a plunger to be found. I bought one in a Harlem grocery store, tried to discreetly haul it back to Brooklyn, and threw it out when we departed!

SO true. One time my boyfriend and I were at a hotel and one of us clogged the toilet.. So awkward having to go down and ask the reception desk for a plunger! Air freshener is also important, definitely embarrassing to "go" at someone's house and there is nothing to freshen up the bathroom after..

I fell in love with my husband the night a friend of his clogged his toilet. We were newly dating, and my husband managed to remain calm, handle his flooded bathroom, and never made his friend feel more embarrassed than I'm sure he already was. I decided a man that could navigate a situation as awkward as that with such grace had to be a pretty good egg.

This happened recently when my wife's father blocked our toilet. I gave him the plunger but that didn't help. Eventually I had to unplug it myself. Believe me, fishing your rubber gloved hand past your father-in-law's poop is a wonderful way to breakdown those remaining boundaries.

Couldn't AGREE MORE! And nobody, I mean nobody ever has them! I was at a wedding shower at my aunt's house whom I never see, and decided to #2 because when you gotta go, ya gotta go some times! ANYWAYS, I HAD TO ASK FOR A PLUNGER! THEEEEEN I had to plunge maybe 100 times w/ no success THEN my aunt had to go in and see my stuff floating around. The toilet must have already been clogged prior to that because I can usually unclog any of my toilet situations w/ a plunger. ANYWAYS, SO EMBARRASSING!

Um, this happened at my house once. We had guests over who clogged the toilet but didn't want to tell us. We found out about it because they BOUGHT A PLUNGER and smuggled it in without our knowing instead of asking us for one!!

A toilet auger works better than a plunger and is less messy. We have an old house and have learned how to unclog toilets and clear drains. However, a toilet auger is not attractive so you don't want to leave it in the bathroom. Might be a good idea to use one before guests show up.

I just reread this blog and definitely went out and bought 2 new toilet plungers, since apparently the plunger I have is wrong (according to the comments here!). Just in time since I'm getting ready to have a slew of guests!